Day-Starter Fitness

Did you know that you can get your fitness on even before your feet touch the floor in the morning? It’s true. But that’s not all. You can also perform fitness exercises during your morning grooming, while you’re driving or riding in the car and even at work or school. So, let’s get the morning started!

Before rolling out of the sack, make stretching a part of your morning. Lie on your back and extend your arms over your head as you inhale. Now stretch your legs and point your toes—stretching your limbs as far as you can. Hold this stretch for 10 counts, breathing deeply the whole time. Repeat a few times. Next, move your arms and legs as if you are performing slow-motion jumping jacks, stretching them towards the bed corners, for another 10 counts. Repeat a few times.

When it’s time to brush your teeth, it’s also time for another fitness move. While standing at the sink, stand up straight with your heels together and toes pointed outward. Lift your heels off the floor while contracting your calves and buttocks, while keeping your abs pulled in. Do these heel raises as many times as possible while brushing your teeth.

Your commute offers another prime time for fitness. Find a song you like on the radio or a favorite CD and squeeze your buttock muscles together in time with the song—all while keeping your abdominal muscles tightened. You can change it up, too, by alternating buttock sides. Perform these exercises for three or four songs.

While at work, school or wherever, if there are stairs, take them because stair-climbing works your glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves and abs. To make it even more challenging, take two stairs at a time. Later in the day, try an ab workout at your desk to work the obliques, intercostals, transverse abdominals and abdominus rectus: drop your pen and pick it up. Here’s how: Drop your pen on the floor on your right side, and then pick it up by leaning over to your right side, pulling in your abs and reaching with your right hand—but using your abs to pull yourself back up. Switch and try this on the left side. Repeat 10 times.

What a great way to start your day off right and keep fit during the day!

In order to avoid risk of injury, please seek advice directly from your physician, especially if you have existing medical issues, before beginning any exercise or nutritional program. Also, be sure to stretch after exercise to avoid muscle and joint tightness.

This information is intended for educational and informational
purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination
or replace the advice of your health care professional and should not be relied upon to determine
diagnosis or course of treatment.